Holding My Last Breath
by mini pony lover
Summary: Rumple,Belle and Gideon are enjoying their Happy Begining,with Gideon's godmom and Rumple's lifelong friend Lyra. But when the Darkness comes to collect The Price from a deal made when the Savior was the DO,Rumple learns just how much heartbreak someone can take.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I own nothing except my OC is my first try at an actual fic, instead of just a OS. Reviews would be lovely,please and thank you!_

The door to the pawnshop opened and closed shut with a bang.

"Come out here Gold, I know you're in here." Rumpelstiltskin parted the curtain from the back of his shop and walked to where Regina was standing in front of the counter, palms flat, looking pissed off enough to hurl a fireball at her old mentor. Rumpelstiltskin turned to face Regina." To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, your Majesty?" he asked calmly, seemingly unaware that he was extremely close to becoming a burnt lizard.

"You don't deserve her love" she snarled. "You don't deserve something so pure and bright. She loves you. For what reason, I have the faintest idea, but she 're wounding her each time you pick Belle. She sacrificed herself and her needs time and time again for you but you didn't care. As long as Belle and Gideon are safe, the rest of the world could burn, right?" Regina scoffed, her face a picture of disgust.

"What are you prattling on about dearie?"

"Lyra loves you. She loves you, and she too scared to admit it, even on her death bed."

"She's dying? Where is she?" Rumple shrieked, becoming more panicked as a silence descended over the two.

Regina, seeming to decide to reply , only said "Your front porch."

Rumplestitlsikin waved his hand and appeared on the front porch of his Victorian salmon colored estate.

"Lyra?! " Rumple shrieked, walking quickly to where she lay on the front steps, Belle hovering over her, clutching Gideon to her chest. "What happened?" Rumple inquired, looking up at Belle.

"Lyra decided to take Gideon on the porch to play since it was a nice day. She insisted that I take a '10 minute sanity break' so I made myself a cup of tea. I was sitting by the window watching Gideon and Lyra push a ball back and forth when suddenly she just collapsed." Belle looked slightly worried, Gideon becoming quickly attached to his god mom within the first couple month of Lyra watching him.

Rumple waves his hand and poofs himself and Lyra inside. He settles Lyra's body on a sofa and waves his hand again to do a diagnostic scan when Emma Swan comes bursting in the front door.

"Gold, what happened? I heard Lyra collapsed and ran straight here."

Angry at being interrupted Rumple quipped "What ,have you come to arrest me again?" then he sighed and said,

"I was just about to find out myself when you came barging in here. I frankly don't care if this sound rude or not, , but why, exactly are you here?"

Emma raised her eyebrow slightly at the comment, but said, "Well, it may be hard for you to believe, but Lyra's my friend. She helped me out when I was the Dark One and I promise to repay her somehow."

"Even though your magical powers have improved greatly since when you first discovered them, ,I still sincerely doubt that you could provide much assistance."

A beep sounded and Rumple and Emma watched what the scan had found.

"She's dying of a blackened heart, but how?" Rumple pulled Lyra's heart of her chest to confirm. Turning the blanked, shriveled heart this way and that, he puzzled over how someone as good and caring as Lyra had a blackened heart.

"Oh no,Lyra…" Emma breathed, "So that was the price."

Rumple gently and carefully put Lyra's heart back in her chest, before whirling to face Emma.

If looks could kill, Emma would certainly be halfway to the Underworld by now. The look Gold gave her was dangerously calm. It instantly reminded her that, no matter how long he has been "Good" for Belle and Gideon's sake, Rumpelstiltskin still was the Dark One "The Price of what, Ms. Swan?".

"The-The price for controlling the Darkness inside of me when I was the Dark One" Emma stuttered out, "When I was the Dark One, I could tell I was getting worse before I -" she trailed off, seemingly lost in the memories of her short stint as the Dark One.

"Before you kidnapped me. It's alright you can say it." Rumple chimed in when Emma seemed to be at a loss of what to say

"Yeah,since that." Emma supplied somewhat lamely.

"But why would Lyra agree to something like that? She's not stupid, she knows that Magic always comes with a price and controlling the Darkness must have came with a steep one. What's so valuable to her that she would willingly sacrifice bits of her soul?"

"You really have to ask, Dearie?" A familiar voice asked, followed by a slightly-insane sounding giggle "I gathered you were dense, but I never thought that you were quite _this_ dense."

Startled, Rumple turned his head to find the Dark One version of himself staring back at him.

"What do you mean? Why are you here? Go away"

"Oh, you have no idea, do you? Still don't believe anyone can love you?"

"Belle loves me, and so does Gideon! You know very well they do!" Rumple yelled, getting fed up with the Darkness's caginess.

"Oh, we are well aware of your maid and spawn's everlasting love for , I was referring to the young lady who is slowing dying on your furniture. " The imp looks at Lyra and then sniffs dismissively and says "I wonder how talented your maid is at getting blood stains out of upholstery. I guess we'll shall soon find out."

"No she doesn't" Rumple said, fully aware of how insane he looked arguing to thin air. He was about to ignore the Imp completely (which is what he usually did when he was in someone else company besides Belles.) until Emma turned to the Imp and said " ." The imp huffed and said "Very well."


	2. Chapter 2

Rumple sat down on his favorite leather recliner, a gift from his time as Mr. Gold that he found extremely comfortable. As he settled down, he shot up, realizing he'd be unconscious and vulnerable. Just then, Belle came in with Gideon. "What going on? How you found out what's wrong with Lyra?"

"Not yet sweetheart. Apparently, Lyra made a deal with The Savior when she was the Dark One. In order to find out what's exactly wrong with Lyra, I have to comb through the last Dark One's memories. In order to do that, I'll have to be unconscious, and I…" Rumple trailed off, not needing to go into any further detail.

"Gideon and I will stand guard, to make sure no one harms you. Won't we Giddy?' Gideon clapped his hands, happy to help his papa.

Now more at ease, Rumple glanced over at Lyra.

"Don't worry Gold," Emma said "I've got Lyra"

"Alright, I'm ready."

"Close your eyes." The darkness waved his hands.

"Open them."

Rumple opened his eyes and found himself in what appeared to be a toolshed, surrounded by dreamcatchers. He didn't have long to study them, as he heard Lyra chanting behind him.

"Emma Swan, Emma Swan, Emma-"before she could complete saying Emma's name for the third time, the Dark One in question appeared beside Lyra. Before Lyra could utter a word, Emma slammed her back against the toolshed with magic, stealing the air from her lung as she did so.

"How did you arrive here?" Emma asked, furious that her sanctuary was being invaded by an outsider. "I put wards around this place to become impenetrable. Only those who share my blood should be able to enter." As The Dark One uttered that sentence, vines began creeping in through the walls, binding Lyra to them. "What did you do to my son?" Emma asked coldly, the vines slowly winding their way up Lyra's legs.

"Nothing!" Lyra panted out, the vines now reaching her ribs. "I did nothing to Henry."

"Then why do you have his blood?"

" A Band-Aid."

"A what?"

"A Band-Aid. Surely you weren't in that well long enough to forget what a band aid is?" came the snarky reply. Rumple knew just how well Lyra coped when she was in pain. She usually only became snarky when she was in quite a bit of it.

"Of course I know what a Band-Aid is! I obviously don't remember Him telling me that was a loophole to the blood protection." Emma snarled, a few moments later, seeming to have sufficatly mentally scolded the darkness.

"Well, it obviously wasn't something It was aware of. Modern items seem to confuse It." Lyra said sympathetically, as it she was talking about a misbehaving puppy and not the embodiment of all evil. "It's in my boot if you need proof Henry is unharmed." Lyra jerked her head, indicating her right riding boot.

Emma waved her hand and Lyra's boot popped off. Emma tipped it upside down and out fluttered a Band-Aid.

She waved her hand again and the Band-Aid seemed to glow. Emma took out a spindle needle out of seemingly nowhere and pricked her finger. The Band-Aid started to glow an almost vibrant pink. "So he is."

The Dark One waved her hand and the vines retreated. Lyra collapsed on the ground, seeming to wince as she did so.

"Now, you obviously didn't summon me for no reason. Do you want to make a deal?"

"Yes, I do. I know what you're planning to do, and in order to do that you need a pure heart. I can lend you bits of my heart to help you accomplish that. As an added bonus, having a bit of a pure heart lessens the darkness control over you. Not enough to free you, mind you. Just enough so, say, you don't slaughter your own family and all they hold dear." The next part Lyra seemed to mutter but both Rumple and Emma caught it none the less: "Although I haven't the faintest idea why anyone wouldn't want to get rid of the whole Charming clan, but I digress."

"And what do you want in return?"

"Simple." Lyra said, standing up and putting on an ice cold expression" You, The Dark One, harm neither Belle nor Rumple. If they are harmed in any way, be it mentally, psychically, emotionally, any way at all, the deal is off and my heart goes right back to its original state in my chest" Almost an afterthought, Lyra added: "I know it's been a while for you, what with you being wrapped around your waste- of -space pirate and all, but I have a question for you, one that you might have to use your brain for." When Emma was silent, Lyra continued, looking at the dreamcatchers as she spoke: "Why haven't mourned for my son? Did he really mean that little to you?"

Emma blinked, surprised at the turn of subject. "What son? You don't have a son."

"Of course I do! Just because Baelfire's isn't mine in blood doesn't make him any less my son. I've been there for him for as long as I can remember. I love him as my son, therefore he is." For one moment, the fire in Lyra's eye was enough in rival the sun in its intensity. But then, the light seemed to sputter as she corrected herself. "He _was_ my son, I mean."

Rumple gasped, both at the mention of Bae and of Lyra's fierce delecration.

" I haven't…. I just…" Emma tried to defend herself, looking more like her human self then she's been in a while.

"Been too wrapped up in your pirate?" Lyra snorted" of course you were."

"Anyway, do we have a deal?" Lyra held out her hand.

Emma closed her hand around Lyra's in a handshake.

"The deal is struck."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: So,apparently my muse decided that Ruby need to be involved. So here we are! I hope you enjoy. Shoutout to for her reviews! They keeps my muse fed, so thank you! R &R are always appreciated!_

Ruby barrels into Gold's pawn shop and shouts "Gold!"

She normally wouldn't barge into his shop, especially since she just came out of a portal and would love a rest, but the pain in her heart was specific. She heard of other wolves talk about the pain in their heart when one of their pack was at deaths door. The blind panic,the mantra of _"Aretheyokaretheyokaretheyok?"_ repeating over and over in an endless loop. Since Dorothy and Granny were accounted for, that only left Lyra. The two had become quite close after the breaking of the First Curse.

 _ **Just after the First Curse**_

 _After one of her transformations, she woke up on an unfamiliar floor. Her cloak was covering her like a blanket and as she sat up, she knocked over what appeared to be water in a bowl. The clanking woke up Lyra, whose head popped up off of her pillow. Her raven-colored hair was every which way and Ruby couldn't help but giggle at one strand that was sticking straight up. As Lyra stretched, she said" Moring Ruby! How'd you sleep?"_

" _How did I get here?" Ruby asked, a little concerned to be waking up in a strangers apartment. Lyra ducked her head and Ruby swore she saw a faint blush as Lyra said "Oh that…So I,um,I have a way with animals?" The question ended in a squeak. "They like me, I guess? So, I knew of your "Pet" problem and how worried you are about hurting people. So since last night was a full moon, I kind of lured you're here with a raw steak and just petted you until you were sleepy. Then I threw your cloak over you while you were sleeping and here we are." Lyra finished somewhat lamely. "I didn't hurt you?" Ruby said, shocked that she hadn't attacked Lyra while in her wolf form. "No you didn't. Although you were a little miffed when I wouldn't let you on the bed, but that's only because I didn't want any miscommunications come morning."_

" _Oh."_

 _That's how their "Sleepovers" began._

 _One night, as Ruby arrived at Lyra's for their "Sleepover", she saw Mr. Gold chatting with Lyra. Ruby was aware of the reputation that The Dark One held in the Enchanted Forest ,but, being a werewolf herself, she wasn't one to jump to conclusions. Just as Ruby was getting ready to turn around so as to not eavesdrop, but Gold spotted Ruby first,_

" _Good Evening, Ms. Lucas. Lovely night for a walk in the woods, isn't it?" Gold said smoothly._

 _Before Ruby could think of a retort, Lyra lightly smacked Gold on the shoulder. "Be nice."_

 _Gold rubbed his shoulder, feigning a hurt expression._

" _That wasn't nice, Rumple and you know it. You have to be nice to my friends, especially since I'm hurting."_

 _Ruby was immediately on alert. "You're hurt? Where? Who hurt you? What's wrong?"_

 _Lyra immediately brushed pat Rumple to get to her friend. "Ruby….Ruby…. RUBES!" She finally shouted, cutting her friend off mid-rant about how she was going to dismember whoever dared to harm her sister. "I'm fine. I'm ok. My muscles just hurt and Rumple was nice enough to bring me a pain tonic."_

 _Ruby sniffed the air, knowing how Lyra downplays her pain so people -namely her-don't worry. She found a small bit of a pain scent tinged with something coming from the both of them that made her eyes pop wide open and suck in a breath._

 _Lyra saw Ruby's expression and quickly said to Gold "Well, our sleepover awaits. Time to complain about our love lives and eat as much chocolate as I can handle. Hopefully this pain tonic works on cramps as well."_

 _At the mention of Lyra's period pain, Rumple turned a little green (not his attractive scaly green either.) and quickly bid them both goodbye._

 _After Lyra let Ruby inside her apartment, she quickly shut the door. Crossing her arms, she leaned against the door and said "OK, I know that look, spill."_

 _Ruby opened her mouth to deny it, but Lyra cut her "Don't you even deny that you weren't just wearing your 'oh-shit-I-know-something-everyone-else-doesn't' look. So spill"._

 _Rubies took a deep breath and practically blurt out "Rumpelstiltskin is your mate."_

 _Lyra instantly paled then whispered "He's my what?"_

" _Your mate."_

" _Are you sure, Rubes?"_

" _Positive" Ruby said with a nod, "Both of you share a mating sent. Not many couple find their mate. So,Congrats! When are you going to tell him?"_

" _I'm not" Lyra whispered. "I can't"_

" _Why not?" Ruby practically shouted, "He's your Mate. He deserves to know."_

 _Lyra looked up at Ruby with the most devastated look Ruby has ever seen._

 _Lyra took a deep breath and said in a hollow voice "Ruby, he has Belle. Belle is his True Love and Rumple is hers. Do Mates trump True Love? Or Vice-Versa? I don't think so. Rumple may be MY mate, but there is a chance I'm not his. I'm not willing to risk his happiness with Belle just based on a chance."_

 _Ruby looked ready to argue, but a tremor racked her body. "I'm not done discussing this."_

" _Yeah,yeah,yeah, you can yap at me all you want in a couple of minutes." Lyra teased her._

 _Ruby let out a bark._

Ruby was shaken from the memory by a clanging coming from the back of the store. Followed by a feminine yelp.

Regina appeared, looking a bit disheveled.

"Well, look what the dog dragged in." Regina sneered.

Ignoring the insult, Ruby simply said "Gold. Where is he?"

"Occupied."

"Well, he needs to unoccupy himself. Lyra's in trouble."

"Rumple knows."

"He knows she's dying?"

"Yes. I assume he's helping her"

"Poof me to Lyra."

"Excuse me?" Regina asked, clearly not used to being ordered around, especially not by a mutt.

"Poof me,bippity bop me, _I don't give a damn_. Just get me to Lyra." Ruby said, a fieriness in her eyes that's not entirely human.

Rather than become dog chow, Regina poofed both of them to Rumple's house.


End file.
